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Welcome to the St Helens Birds and Wildlife blog. We welcome your reports from across the borough regarding all forms of wildlife. Please click on the "Report a sighting" tab if you would like to contribute to this blog.

We ask that you refrain from posting exact breeding locations of any species which may be considered scarce or vulnerable, and in particular schedule 1 species. In the context of St Helens, schedule 1 species usually means kingfisher and little ringed plover. Little ringed plover should not be reported at all on this blog between 1st May and 1st August.

Scarce or vulnerable species include but are not restricted to any species of wader, ducks other than mallard, all owls, any birds of prey, grey or yellow wagtails, grey heron, all grebes, Cetti’s warbler, water rail, willow tit, corn bunting etc. If in doubt, please ask.

We reserve the right to edit or delete posts which contravene this rule.


Billinge Hill

A few photos from an hour on the hill, the nice surprise was the juvenile spotted flycatcher which is a notably late record.  A better amount of VisMig was present today with more notable passage of chaffinch, skylark(see pic) and meadow pipit than in recent days.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Male Sparrowhawk

I don't know if its anything to do with last nights blood moon but the wood pigeon that perches on our garage roof had changed this morning!


Billinge Hill Scarcities

There was a merlin hunting the large number of skylark, chaffinch, linnet around the pony paddocks early this morning.


Keep your eyes and ears peeled for a yellow-browed warbler!

Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar

I found this elephant hawk moth caterpillar today whilst strimming a garden in Liverpool. I think it was feeding on the willowherb. I've brought it back home because there was nothing left of the willowherb by the time we'd finished. Not strictly in St Helens (well, it is now!) but I've never seen one before and thought it was worth posting.

I've put some willowherb and fuscia leaves in for it, while I work out what to do with it!



Damian P

East Lancs Road

I saw my first flock of Pink-footed Geese this morning about 10:30am

They flew over the East Lancs Road just east of the Game Bird pub.   Disappeared from view behind trees roughly Eccleston Mere area.

Regards Dave.




Billinge Hill

I couldn't find much this morning on Billinge Hill...

Grey wagtail 2 in pool in pine copse
Goldcrest 3
Meadow pipit 10+ in field opposite horse paddocks
Buzzard 3+
Kestrel 1
Tree sparrow 15+ in hedge near pine copse
Chiffchaff 2, 1 singing

Damian P

Billinge Bits

Just a few photos from the last week or so .... a few migrants including blackcap, chiffchaff, whinchat whilst the curlew were on Old Coach Road

 
 
 
Blackcap (m) - as those elder berries ripen sylvia warblers become very protective, listen out for harsh "tacking" noises and a blackcap, garden warbler or something rarer may pop into view.
 
 
d Coach Rd but a regular tweeter @neilg had many more

 
 
Whinchat - Apparently used to once breed in St Helens but now sadly only occur as passage migrants.  This one was on the fences of the pony paddocks at Crookhurst Farm where I've had them in previous years.  Red Barn Lane, fields around Carr Mill Dam and Billinge Hill Summit are other locations to look in late August - early Sept.

   
 
 
Sparrowhawks also migrate  (following the passerine migrants)  and I've been noting one around a lot more often recently.

 
 
 
Lesser redpoll have begun moving, some people expect BIG numbers this winter so fill those nyger feeders up!

 
 
Painted Lady hopefully a migrant and not one bred as part of a school project!

 
Long-tailed tit - these are beginning to move around in large flocks, they often carry other birds with them including blue tit, great tit but the ones I've been seeing are with goldcrest, treecreeper and coal tit.  If you're gonna find a firecrest or yellow-browed warbler then keep your ears alert and eyes peeled as flocks of mixed tits fly through.

 
Chiffchaff - Keep a close eye on any warblers you see, you never know when or where a Bonelli's or Siberian Chiffchaff may pop up!

Cheers
Paul B